Method of supplying fuel for heating purposes.



No. 865,646. 'PATENTED SEPT. 10, 1907.

W. T. KELLEY & c. w. HOFMEISTEB. METHOD OF SUPPLYING FUEL FOR HEATING PURPOSES.

APPLICATION FILED OUT-26. 1904- 1 3 v- I f M A Q 4 anuznrozs witnesses UNlTEl) STATES rirrrnnr oisrrc WlLlilAM THOMAi KELLEY AND CHRISTOPHER \Y. llOl'MElS'lliR, ()l MUSKOGEE, lNDlAN TERRITORY, ASSIGN ORS, BY DIRECT AND MICSNE JWSIUNMIINJS, TO KELLEY PETRO- LlE-UM GAS GENERATOR COMlANY. A (,ORPORA'll ON Oi ARIZONA TERRITORY.

METHOD OF SUPPLYING FUEL FOR HEATING PURPOSES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Sept. 10, 1907.

Application filed Octob r 28, 1.904. Serial No- 230,123.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WiLLIAM THOMAS KELLEY and CHRISTOPHER W. l-lorrums'rnn. citizens of the United States, residing at Muskogee, in the Creek Nation, India-n Territory, have invented new and useful Improvements in Methods of Supplying Fuel for Heating Purposcs,.oi which the following is a specification] This invention relates to an improved method of supplying fuel for heating purposes in stoves, burners, en.- gincs. steam boilers and in fact in all places where a cheap and economical source of heat supply is desired.

Furthermore it is contemplated by this invention to provide a simple yet practicable and efficient method of employing crude petroleum 'or oil as a substitute for ordinary fuel, such as coal and wood.

ln carrying out the present method an absorbent material of any suitable nature such as Cinders, wood ashes, or other refuse material is combined with the crude petroleum, the latter being fed thereto and diffusing itself throughout the absorbent as will be more particularly set iorth'in the following description 'and illustrated in the accompanying.drawing. i

In the drawing Figure 1 represents an apparatus for carrying the improved method into practice. Fig. 2 is a cross section of oil discharge pipe embedded in the ashes.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, there is. provided a tank 1 for supplying crude petroleum or oil,' while leading therefrom is a discharge pipe 2 having'an 7 end portion 3 provided with suitable discharge openings therein arranged in'the lower face of the pipe. This pipe has a suitable valve 2 for controlling the supply of petroleum or oil and leads into the fire box 4 being disposed adjacent the bottom of the box. In front of the lire box t is abox 4 having a filling'of fire clay 6 through which the pipe 2 extends serving as 2. protecting medium against radiation of heat. Within this fire box and'substantially fillingthe same there are packed wood ashes, cindei-s or pther material 7 that will serve as an absorbent-for the crude petroleum. In practice these wood ashes or binders are packed so that the fire box of the stove or other device in which this improvedmetho'd is-einployed is well filled,- the upper surface being adjacent the damper 5 disposed beneath the grates 8. It willbe noted that these cinders or wood' -ashes entirely cover the portion of thedischarge pipe within the fire boi and that the petroleum fed through this pipe works its way from the bottom of these absorbent materialsupwardly through the same. The pe troleum or oil being lighted at the top surface of the packing of absorbent material supplies the necessaryheat which may be conducted "to any point for the purposes of heating ora's in the present instance they act simplyas' a fire for-ordinary heating purposes. The

means, however, of utilizing the heat does not form a part of the present invention which has for its object, especially a'inethod-for supplying and feeding a heat producingmedium to be used in place of and as a substitute for ordinary fuel;

As the petroleum or oilis graduallyconsumed at the top of the absorbent material there is a continual sup-- plyor' the oil working its way upwardly through the Cinders or ashes to replenish that consumed. As the petroleum is fed in from the bottom and rises up through-this absorbent material there is a continual generation of a cheap and effective fuel. By thus feeding the-petroleum through the absorbent material there is gained the advantage of obviating all flashing, whichlatter is the usual result with petroleum when sprayed as a heatgiving medium in a burner. By supplying the crude petroleum to the lower portion of the absorbent body, beneath the ignitioii surface through the supply pipe embedded therein, when starting the petroleurn is diffused towards the sides of the fire-box and is then drawn upwards-from its point of introduction by capillary attraction. This produces an effective diffusion of the oil throughout the absorbent body so that Wh en it reaches the ignition siuface it is uniformly spread over the surface where it is ignited. After-the oil at the ignition surface has burned for a time the absorbent body becomes heated and this heat is transmitted through the body of the material to the oil supply pipe embedded therein, which in turnheats the petroleum in the pipe so that heated petroleum is discharged into the body of the material. As this heated oil is drawn upward by capillary attraction more or less vapor is generatedirom it by the heat derived from the heated body of the material, which vapors or gases become more rarefied as they come nearer to the ignition surface at which point they are ignited and produce an intense heat. Their escape at the ignition surface is placed under control, for instance, by the sliding plate described so that they new burn over the entire surface to produce a relatively wide area of heat distribution, or by adjusting the plate the area may be contracted so that the vapors will be discharged under a more or less extent of concentration, thus producing a more intense heat at the point of restriction. It will thus be observed that important steps in the process are the introduction of the petroleum into the absorbent vbody beneath the ignition surface and over the stratum of material which lies beneath the pipe so that'it may be drawn upward by capillary attraction directly from its point of introduction and controlling the escape. of the vaporsat the ignition surfafcewhich together obtain a freer movement of the oil and I reduce the liability of clogging the absorbent body.

-An'importa'nt feature is the heating of the oil in th s pipe before its passage into the absorbent body after eration of vapors and a niore intense heat from the ignition.

There may be many minor changes introduced in tho-method and apparatus for carrying into effectlour improved process for supplying fuel for heating purposes, but such we believe to come within the scope of our invention.

What we claim and desire to protect byLetters Patont is:

1. The within process consisting in conducting a flowing body of oil directly into -:1 body of absorbent material and discharging it into the stratum'ofi the material lying beneath the pointof discharge and the bottom, drawing sum oil upwardly through said body by capillary attraction from its polnt of introduction, generating vapors from said oil by heat transmitted through the absorbent body; and controlling the escape of the vapors at the ignition surface of said body,-substantially as described.'

2. The within process consisting in conveying" a continnoussupply or flowing body of oil into the lower portion ot a body of absorbent material, heating it within the body of said material preliminarily to its discharge therelnto, drawing said oil upwardly through said body by capillary attraction from its point of introduction,

generating vapors from said oil by heat transmitted through/the absorbent body and controlling the escape of the vapor-sat the ignition surface of said body, substantially as described.

In' testimony whereof we have atfixed our signnturemln presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM THOMAS KELLEY. CHRISTOPHER W. IIO FMEIS'LER. Witnesses: V l

PERRY J. SPENCER, Amouilin B. Davis. 

